Liquefaction and rectification column



' A A118 10, 1948. A. J.. FAusEK ErAL 2,445,535

l LIQUEFCTION AND RECTIFICTION COLUKN Filed sept. 1s. 194s .--P PURE N/ rnacn/ Patented Aug. 10, 1948 LIQUEFACTION AND RECTIFICATION COLUMN Arthur J. Fausek and Irwing F. Fausek, Clayton, Mo.

Application September 15, 1943, Serial No. 502,448 1 claims. (ol. ssi-122) This invention relates generally to liquefaction and rectiiication columns, and more specifically to such columns which are adapted for use in separating the constituents of atmosphere and which include certain sets of valves for controlling passage through conductors forming parts of the column structure of medium being acted on by the column, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a column of the type referred to above which includes improved means for automatically actuating valves of the column structure that control flow of medium being acted on by the column from certain portions of the column to other portions thereof.

y Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view illustrating certain electrical elements and wiring which constitute parts of the means of the present invention for automatically actuating certain sets of valves forming parts of the column structure.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for purposes of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates a liquefaction and rectification column which is generally of conventional design. The column A comprises an elongated. vertically disposed housing B into the lower portion of which an air pipe C leads, said air pipe being shown in the drawing as adapted for delivering air under compression to a coil D that Ais disposed within the lower portion of the housing B. The column A includes within the housing thereof a condenser E, having condensing tubes E', and disposed beneath said condenser is an annular receptacle F which receives from said condensing tubes of the condenser, crude nitrogen resulting from operation of said condenser E. The column A includes within the housing B thereof groups o! rectication trays G, H, J, and K, which perform a well-known function. .Likewise, arranged within the housing of the column A is a plurality of expansion valves L, Mand N. the expansion valve L being connected by a pipe L' to the nitrogen receptacle F, the expansion valve M being connected by apipe M to the bottom of the housing B of the column A, and the expansion valve N being connected by a pipe N' to the coil D.

In order to control passage of medium through the pipes L', M', and N', sets of valves are arranged in said pipes, there being a setof valves I in the pipe L' which controls passage of crude nitrogen through said pipe L' from the nitrogen receptacle F to the expansion valveL, a set of valves 2 in the pipe M' which controls passage through said pipe M' of crude oxygen .from the bottom of the housing B of the column A to the expansion valve M, and a set of valves 3 which controls passage through the pipes C and N of air under compression from the source of said air to the coil D and to the expansion valve N. .The sets of valves I, 2, and 3, are of like construction and arrangement, one of said sets of valves, the set of valves 3, being illustrated somewhat in detail in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and this set of valves will be described with it being understood that the sets of valves I and 2 are correspondingly constructed and arranged.

The set of valves 3 comprises a housing I so shaped as to provide a pair of passageways 4a and 4b arranged in lapped relation, with an intermediate wall 5 of the housing l interposed be tween said passageways, and said wall 5 having formed therethrough a plurality of ports 5 which place the passageways 4a and 4b in communication with each other. Suitably supported by the housing 4 within the passageway 4b thereof is a plurality of valve structures 1, there being one valve structure for each port 8, and each valve structure comprising a valve head 8 provided with a stem, and a solenoid 9. The stems Voi the valve heads 8 extend into the solenoids 9 and serve as cores, and as a result the valve heads vare drawn away from their seats at the ports 6, to open said ports, when the solenoids are encrgized, the valve heads returning to their seated positions to close the ports 6 when the solenoids are de-energized.

The present invention includes a plurality of meansl for automatically actuating the sets of valves I, 2, and 3, there being a. means X Ior `actuating the set of valves I, a means Y for actuating the set of valves 2, and a means Z for actuating the set of Valves 3. Each of the valveactuating means X, Y, and Z includes a tube I0 that is suitably supported in a vertical position and which is formed of glass or'other suitable material through which light may pass. Connected at one of its ends into the bottom of the tube I0 of the valve-actuating means Z is a conductor Il, said conductor at its opposite end being connected into the housing B of the column A at a point adjacent to the lower end of the condenser E where said housing contains a body of pure liquid oxygen O. The conductor Il includes an intermediate portion which comprises parallel, upwardly extended conductor portions IIa and IIb which are connected at their upper ends by a curved conductor portion llc. Connected into the top of the tube I0 or the valve-actuating means Z is a second conductor I2, the opposite end of said conductor I2 being connected into the housing B of the column A at a point slightly above the condenser E.

Associated with the tube I0 of the valve-actuating means Y is a similar pair of conductors, there being a conductor I3 which is connected at one of its ends into the bottom of said tube and is connected at its opposite end into the housing B of the column A at the bottom thereof wherein a body of crude oxygen P is contained, this conductor being provided with an intermediate portion comprising parallel, vertical conductor portions I3a and I3b which are joined at their upper ends by a curved conductor portion I3c, and a conductor I 4 which is connected at one of its ends into the top oi the tube I0 of the valve-actuating means Y and is connected at its opposite end into the housing of the column A at a point located slightly above the coil D. In like manner, the tube III of the valve-actuating means X has associated therewith a pair of conductors I5 and I6, the conductor l5 being connected at one of its ends into the bottom of said tube I0 of said valve-actuating means X and being connected at its opposite end into the column housing at the location of the annular receptacle F wherein a body of liquid nitrogen R is contained, while the conductor I5 is connected at one of its ends into the column housing at a point slightly above the annular receptacle F and at its opposite end is connected into the top of the tube II! of said valve-actuating means X. The conductor I5 includes an intermediate portion which comprises parallel, vertical conductor portions I 5a and I5b which are joined at their upper ends by a curved conductor portion I5c.

The tube I0 of each of the valve-actuating means X, Y, and Z has associated therewith a plurality of photo-electrical devices I1, I8, I9, and 20, the tubes and light beam-projecting elements of which are arranged at opposite sides of the tubes I0. The tubes of the photo-electrical devices of the various valve-actuating .means X, Y, and Z, are connected electrically by 'suitable wiring, as is shown in Fig. 2, to the solenoids 9 which actuate the valve heads 8 of the set of valves controlled by said valve-actuating means, said wiring being such that separate electrical circuits 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d are established between the tubes of the various photo-electrical devices and the solenoids of the individual valves.

The tube I0 of each of the valve-actuating means X, Y, and Z contains a body of liquid 2i which is so characterized that the light beams projected by the light beam-projecting elements of the photoelectrical devices toward the tubes thereof, will not pass through said body of liquid, such bodies of liquid being, for instance, water, or other liquid, in which a suitable dye has been incorporated to render it opaque. The bodies of liquid 2I of the tubes of the various valve-actuating means extend into the conductors II, I3, and I5 of said valve-actuating devices, and, likewise, a portion of the body of pure, liquid oxy- Een O extends into the conductor I l of the valveactuating means Z, a portion of the body of crude liquid oxygen P extends into the conductor I3 of the valve-actuating means Y, and a portion of the body of liquid nitrogen R extends i-nto the conductor I5 of the valve-actuating means Y. Trapped in each of the conductors II, I3, and Il of the valve-actuating means X, Y, and Z, between the body of liquid 2I and the body of liquid extended thereinto from the housing of 4 the column A, is a column of air, said columns of air being located in the portions of said conductors II, I3, and I5 which in Fig. 1 are free from horizontal lines indicating presence of liquid.

In the operation of the improved column structure disclosed herein the levels of the bodies of liquid O, P, and R, raise and lower, and for completely eilicient operation of the column the volume of medium which is permitted to ilow through the pipes L', M', and N', should be determined by the levels of said bodies of liquid O, P, and R. This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by the valve actuating means X, Y, and Z, due to the fact that the levels of the portions of the bodies of liquid O, P, and R, which are located in the conductors II, I3, and I5 are substantially the same as the levels of said bodies of liquid Within the housing B of the column A, and hence, lowering or raising of the levels of said bodies of liquid within the housing of the column A will result in corresponding lowering or raising of the levels of the portions of said bodies of liquid in the conductors II, I3, and I5. Likewise, lowering or raising of the levels of the portions of the bodies of liquid O, P, and R in the conductors II, I3, and I5, will result in corresponding lowering and raising of the bodies of liquid 2I within the tubes I0 of the valve-actuating means X, Y, and Z, the bodies of trapped air in said conductors I I, I3, and f5, serving to transmit upward movement to the liquid within the tubes I II on raising of the levels of the portions of the bodies o! liquid O, P, and R in said conductors II, I3, and I5.

Let it be assumed, that any one of the bodies of liquid O, P, or R, is at its maximum high level and that during the operation of the column the level of said body of liquid recedes. When the level of said body of liquid is at its maximum high level, the body of liquid 2| within the tube H of the corresponding valve-actuating means X, or Y, or Z, will likewise be at its highest level, at which time the light beams of all of the photoelectrical devices I1, I8, I9, and 20, will be broken, thereby causing the solenoids 9 of all of the related valves to be energized so as to move all of the valve heads 8 to open positions. K

Now, as the level of the body of liquid 2I in the tube l0 of the valve-actuating means lowers in response to lowering of the level of the body of liquid O, or P, or R, within the housing of the column A, said body of liquid 2| will be withdrawn from between the tube and the light beam-projecting element of the uppermost photo-electrical device I'I. with the result that the light beam will pass through the tube I5 to the tube of the photo-electrical device and deenergize the circuit leading from said photoelectrical tube to one of the valves 8 of the related set of valves I, 2, or 3, and permit said valve to close. Likewise, if the levels of the body of liquid O, P, or R and the body of liquid 2l. in the tube I0 of the valve-actuating means continue to drop, the light beams of the photoelectrical devices I8, I9, and 20 will in turn be permitted to pass through the tube I0 to the respective tubes of said photo-electrical devices to successively de-energize the solenoids 9 of the other valves of the related set of Valves I, 2, er 5 and close said valves. In like manner, when the level of any one of the bodies of liquid O, P, 0r R, raises from a lower to a higher level, the

correspondingly rising body o! liquid 2i within the tube l! of the related valve-actuating means will successively break the beams of light oi' other photo-electrical devices to cause the valves electrically connected to the tubes of said other photo-electrical devices to be moved to open positions. Y

-It is obvious, therefore, that the sets of valves I. 2, and 3 are controlled automatically Ain response to variancey of the levels of the bodies of liquid 0,'P, and R, within the housing of the column, with the result that ilow of medium through the pipes L', M', and N', during operation of the column is properly regulated, without necessity or manual supervision, to cause the column to function with vthe maximum oi eillciency.

We claim: f1. In an apparatus for-separating gas mixtures, a liqueiaction and rectification column having a housing in which is maintained a body oi' liquid whose 'level raises and lowers during operation of the column, a pipe through which a medium flows during operation of the column, valve means in said pipe for controlling passage of medium therethrough, and means for actuating said valve means in response to changes in the level oi' said body of liquid within the housing of the column, said actuating means including a container formed of material through which light may pass, a plurality of spaced photo-electrical devices associated with said container with the tubes and the light projecting elements of said devices disposed at opposite sides of said container, said tubes of said photoelectrical devices being so connected electrically to said valve means that ow of current through the tubes of the diilerent photo-electrical devices will cause said valve means to be subjected to actuation, and means movable longitudinally of said container in response to movement of the level of said body of liquid within the housing ol the column for interrupting the light beams oi the photo-electrical devices, said means which is movable longitudinally of said container being different in character from that of the body of liquid of said housing.

2. In an apparatus for separating gas mixtures, a liquefaction and rectication column having a housing in which is maintained a body of .liquid whose level raises and lowers during operation of the column, a pipe through which a medium ilows during operation of the column, valve means in said pipe for controlling passage of medium therethrough, and means for actuating said valve means in response to changes in the level o! said body oi liquid within the housing oi' the column, said actuating means including a container formed of material through which light may pass, a plurality of spaced photoelectrical devices associated with said container with the tubes and the light projecting elements of said devices disposed at opposite sides of said container, said tubes of said photo-electrical devices being so connected electrically to said valve means that flow of current through the tubes of the different photo-electrical devices will cause said valve means to be subjected to actuation, and means comprising a body of liquid through which the light beams of said photo-electrical devices may not pass which is movable longitudinally of said container in response to movement of the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column for interrupting the light beams of 'the' photo-electrical devices, said body of liquid which is movable longitudinally of said container being dierent in character from that of the body of liquid of said housing.

3; A liquefaction and rectlication column having a housing in which is maintained a body of liquid whose level raises and lowers during operation of the column, a pipe through which a medium tlows during operation of the column, valve means in said pipe for controlling passage of medium therethrough, and means for actuating said valve means in response to changes in the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column, said actuating means including a container formed of material through which light may pass, a plurality of spaced photo-electrical devices associated with said container with the tubes and the light projecting elements of said devices disposed at opposite sides of said container, said tubes of said photoelectrical devices being so connected electrically to said valve means that ow of current through the tubes oi' the dierent photo-electrical devices will cause said valve means to be subjected to actuation, and means comprising a body of liquid through which the light beams of said photoelectrical devices may not pass which is movable longitudinally of said container in response to movement of the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column for interrupting the lightbeams of the photo-electrical devices, said container and the portion of the housing ofthe column in which said body of liquid is contained being connected by a conductor in which parts of the body oi liquid of the column and the body of liquid of the container are extended. 4. A liquei'action and rectiilcation column having a housing in which is maintained a body oi' liquid whose level raises and lowers during operation of the column, a pipe through `which a medium ows during operation of the column, valve means in said pipe for controlling passage of medium therethrough, and means for actuating said valve means in response to changes in the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column, said actuating means including a container formed of material through which light may pass, a plurality of spaced photo-electrical devices associated with said container with the tubes and the light projecting elements of said devices disposed at opposite sides of said container, said tubes of said photoelectrical devices being so connected electrically to said valve means that flow of current through the tubes of the different photo-electrical devices will cause said valve means to be subjected to actuation, and means comprising a body of liquid through which the light beams of said photo-electrical devices may not pass which is movable longitudinally of said container in response to movement of the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column for interrupting the light beams of the Aphoto-electrical devices, said container and the portion of the housing of the column in which said body of liquid is contained being connected by a conductor in which parts of the body of liquid of the column and the body of liquid of the container are extended, and a trapped body of air interposed between said liquid body parts in said conductor.

5. In an apparatus for separating gas mixtures, a liquefactlon and rectification column having a housing in which is maintained a body agression 7 o! liquid whose level raises and lowers during eperatloncf the column, a pipe through which a medium flows during operation of the column, valve means in said pipe for controlling pascage of medium therethrough, and means for hetuting said valve means in response to changes in the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column, said actuating means including a container formed of material through which light may pass, a plurality of spaced photoelectrical devices associated with said contelnor with `the tubes and the light projecting elements of said devices disposed at 'opposite sides of said container, said tubes of said photo-,

electrical fdevices being so connected electrically le and valve means that flow of current through the tubes of different photo-electrical devices will cause said valve means to be subected te actuation, and means comprising a body of liquid through which the light beams of said photoeiectn'oal devices may not pass which is movable lmgitudinaily of said container in response to movement of the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column for interrupting the light beams of the photo-electrical devices, said container and the portion of the houshg of thc column in which said body of liquid as contained being connected by a conductor in which parts of the body of liquid of the column and the body of liquid of the container are extended, and a trapped medium interposed between said liquid body parts in said conductor` 6. In an apparatus for separating gas mixtures, a llquefaction and rectification 4column having a housing in which is maintained a body d liquid whose level raises and lowers during operation of the column, pipes through which vaporeus and liquid mediums dow during operation o! che column for treatment within the column so as to eventually produce said body electrically operable valve means for actuating said valve means when said means within said container reaches different elevations therein, said container and the portion of the housing of the column in which said body of liquid is contained being connected by a conductor in which a part of the body of liquid of the column and a part of the means within said container are extended.

7-. In an apparatus for separating gas mixtures, a llquefaction and rectication column having a housing in which is maintained a body of liquid whose level raises and lowers during operation of the column, pipes through which vaporous and liquid mediums ow during operation of the column for treatment within the column so as to eventually produce said body of liquid within said column housing, electricallyoperated Valve means in said pipes for controlling passage of mediums therethrough, and means for actuating said valve means in response to changes in the level of said body of liquid within the housing of the column, said actuating means including a container, a body of liquid in said container whose level varies in accordance with variance of the level of the body of liquid within the housing of the column, and electrical conducting means adapted to be caused to deliver electrical energy to said electricallyoperated valve means for actuating said valve means when the liquid within said container reaches different levels, said container and the portion of the housing of the column in which said body of liquid is contained being connected by a conductor in which parts of the body of liquid of the column and the body of liquid 'of the container are extended.

ARTHUR J. FAUSEK. IRWING F. FAUSEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,091,303 Brelsford Aug. 31, 193'? 2,193,261 Thomson -Ma/r. 12. 1940 2,226,856 Gunter Dec. 31, 1940 2,280,383 De Baufre Apr. 21, 1942 2,338,773 Loulmet 'et al. Jan. 11, 1944 

